Evidence for Reporting Duties under Visa Conditions 8578 and 8580 (2026)

To prove you met a reporting duty on time, you need two things: a dated record of when the change happened, and a dated record of when and how you told Immigration. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 8, as published on the Federal Register of Legislation — read as at September 2026 — the two conditions set out in this article are condition 8578 (notify Immigration of specified changes within 14 days after the change occurs) and condition 8580 (provide evidence within 28 days after the date of a written request from the Minister). Conditions 8578 and 8580 each create their own notification and evidence duties, set out below.

What exactly has to be reported, and how fast?

Condition 8578 requires the holder to notify Immigration of a change to any of the following within 14 days after the change occurs:

• the holder's residential address;
• an email address of the holder;
• a phone number of the holder;
• the holder's passport details;
• the address of an employer of the holder;
• the address of the location of a position in which the holder is employed.

Two features matter for evidence purposes. First, the clock starts on the change itself, not on any later step — so the useful record is the one that pins down the date the change happened. Second, the condition covers "any of" the listed items, which means a change to a single item starts its own 14-day period.

Whether a particular visa class can be made subject to condition 8578 depends on the relevant provision in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994; the condition is not automatically attached to every visa.

When does Immigration ask you to produce evidence?

Condition 8580 is the proof condition. If the Minister requests it in writing, the holder must provide evidence of any or all of the following within 28 days after the date of the request:

• the holder's residential address;
• the address of each employer of the holder;
• the address of each location of each position in which the holder is employed;
• the address of an educational institution attended by the holder.

Note the shape of the duty: it is dormant until a written request arrives, and the 28 days run from the date of that request. A holder who never receives such a request is not under an active obligation to send anything under this condition — but is also not holding a receipt proving anything.

How do the two clocks differ?

	Condition 8578	Condition 8580
What starts the clock	The change occurs	The Minister requests evidence in writing
Time allowed	14 days after the change	28 days after the date of the request
What it covers	Residential address; email address; phone number; passport details; employer's address; work location address	Residential address; address of each employer; address of each location of each position; address of an educational institution attended
What the holder must do	Notify Immigration	Provide evidence

The practical difference is who moves first. Under 8578 the holder has to act without being asked; under 8580 the holder reacts to a written request. That difference is exactly what determines what kind of record exists later.

What should a holder keep so the reporting can be proved later?

Because the 14-day clock in condition 8578 starts on the change itself, the record that carries weight is the one that fixes the date and shows the notification left the holder's hands within the window. Suppose a visa holder moves house on 3 March: the two facts that would matter are the date the move took effect, and proof the notification was sent on or before 17 March. A lease, a utilities transfer, or a change-of-address confirmation establishes the first; a transmission record or acknowledgement establishes the second.

For condition 8580, the counterpart is keeping the written request itself, since the 28 days are counted from its date, and keeping copies of whatever was produced in response, so that the same evidence can be reproduced if the question is asked again.

This is general information about how the written conditions operate, not an assessment of any individual case; a holder facing a possible breach should work from the official text and, where the consequences are serious, seek professional advice.

What happens if a breach of a reporting condition is alleged?

The note attached to these Schedule 8 conditions directs readers to the Migration Act 1958, sections 41 and 116 to 119, for cancellation following a breach of a visa condition. In other words, a reporting condition is not a paperwork courtesy: non-compliance is handled through the cancellation provisions of the Act rather than through a separate penalty regime.

That is also why the evidence question matters more than the reporting question. A holder who did report but cannot show it is in a weaker position than one who reported and kept a dated record of both the change and the notification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is notifying Immigration the same as proving I notified it?

No. Conditions 8578 and 8580 are separate duties: one obliges the holder to notify a change within 14 days, the other obliges the holder to produce evidence within 28 days of a written request. Meeting the first without keeping any record can leave the holder unable to demonstrate compliance later.

Does the 14 days in condition 8578 run from the change or from when the holder learns of it?

The text says "within 14 days after the change occurs". The trigger is the change itself, which is why a record establishing when the change took effect is as important as the record of the notification.

What has to be evidenced under condition 8580?

The condition names four categories: the holder's residential address, the address of each employer, the address of each location of each position in which the holder is employed, and the address of an educational institution attended by the holder. It requires evidence of any or all of them, as requested in writing.

If Immigration never asks, do I still need evidence?

Condition 8580 is only activated by a written request from the Minister, so no evidence is due under it until one arrives. The record-keeping value is prospective: a request can arrive long after the change, and the 28-day window starts on the request date.

Can a breach of a reporting condition put the visa at risk?

The note to these Schedule 8 conditions points to the Migration Act 1958, sections 41 and 116 to 119, which deal with cancellation for breaches of visa conditions. Whether a particular visa is subject to the condition depends on the relevant provision in Schedule 2.

Do the reporting duties cover only where I live?

No. Condition 8578 also covers email addresses, phone numbers, passport details, an employer's address and the address of the work location, and condition 8580 extends to educational institutions. A change to any one of those listed items is capable of starting a duty.

References

• Federal Register of Legislation (Australia) — Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 8 visa conditions 8578 and 8580